Abstract
The effects of climate change, soil depletion, a growing world
population putting pressure on food safety and security are major
challenges for agriculture in the 21st century. The breeding success of
the green revolution has decelerated and current programs can only
offset the yield affecting factors. New approaches are urgently needed
and we propose, “G enome E diting a cceleratedRe -D omestication” (GEaReD) as a major new direction
in plant breeding. By combining the upcoming technologies for
phenotyping, omics and artificial intelligence with the promising new
CRISPR-toolkits, this approach is closer than ever. Wild relatives of
current crops are often adapted to harsh environments and have a high
genetic diversity. Re-domestication of wild barley or teosintecould generate new cultivars adapted to environmental changes. De
novo domestication of perennial relatives like Hordeum bulbosumcould counter with soil depletion and increase soil carbon. Recent
research already proved the principle of re-domestication in tomato and
rice and therefore laid the foundation for GEaReD.